Oregon City may -- once again -- dump citizen appointees from its bulky and sometimes fractious urban renewal commission.

The 10-member panel is composed of the city's five elected commissioners and five people representing neighborhoods and business interests. It is the largest in the state -- the Portland Development Commission, which guides that city's urban renewal efforts, has five appointed members.

Oregon City commissioners are increasingly frustrated with the urban renewal board's performance, citing concerns about political bickering, a lack of expertise and the unwieldy commission's tendency to fritter away its limited time. Sometimes a minor issue gets extensive review by the commission, which typically meets twice monthly for an hour or two.

"It should be a much smaller group," said City Commissioner Kathy Roth, who took office a year ago. Roth said she wants urban renewal decisions made by elected officials, who would be assisted by a three-person advisory committee with urban renewal expertise.

"So much of our problem comes from the lack of education" about urban renewal, Roth said.

Mayor Doug Neeley said, "I'd prefer to see some citizen representation on the urban renewal commission, but I'm not sure that's where we're at."

City commission will discuss the urban renewal board composition at a Feb. 7 work session.

In recent years, the urban renewal board got a lot of public attention. It dealt with two of the largest development projects in the Portland area: The Rivers, a shopping mall, and The Cove, a residential-commercial center on the Clackamas River.

The Rivers deal fell apart after the developer balked at the conditions set by the board. The collapse of the mall led to a December recall election that ousted City Commissioner Jim Nicita, who opposed the project.

If the commission does eliminate appointees, it will be the fourth time it has done so since 1988.

Bill Packus, who chaired the urban renewal commission when appointees were eliminated in 2005, said the process "is the most efficient when it was a mixed bag." Packus headed a nine-member board that included two business representatives and two at-large positions.

"You can't have a consistent governing body for urban renewal when you play it like a yo-yo," Packus said.

The latest proposal to scale back was sparked by political in-fighting among a handful of people who lead the Park Place Neighborhood Association. The organization is guaranteed a spot on the urban renewal commission. Nancy Walters, who represents the neighborhood, wanted to be reappointed when her term expired in December.

The neighborhood association is divided on urban renewal financing for the mall. The steering committee nominated Walters, a longtime critic of the mall, and two others with similar views. The committee also insisted that no one else be considered, to the dismay of two other neighborhood residents.

The controversy landed in the lap of an unhappy city commission.

When it came time to interview the candidates, things got strange. Walters and another applicant withdrew hours before the Jan 10 meeting.

"It's been a very hostile process and we were intimidated," Walters said.

"Any question in the universe can be asked at any time," Walters said. "Who's responsible for our civil rights being protected and that state and federal laws will be followed?"

City commissioners clearly wanted to focus urban on renewal and avoid the snare of petty politics.

"There's no doubt what's going on in that neighborhood is a complete mess," Commissioner Rocky Smith Jr. said.